Mexico City FP2: Leclerc Fastest as Hamilton Loses Power

Charles Leclerc was fastest in Mexico City FP2 on Friday, 30 October 2026. His 1m 17.827s left Lando Norris 0.103s behind and George Russell 0.106s back, according to Formula1.com. The session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was far from tidy: Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari stopped on track with a reported power problem, and Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson made contact at Turn 12.

What happened in Mexico City FP2?

Leclerc set the benchmark on soft tyres after what Formula1.com called a scary snap early in the session. Norris and Russell sat within a tenth of him. Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, was fourth, 0.217s off. Verstappen was fifth, 0.311s adrift, with Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar sixth.

Leclerc also led FP1 earlier on Friday, by 0.659s over Antonelli, according to The Race. Two sessions, two Ferrari tops. Friday times hide fuel loads and engine modes, which is the polite way of saying nobody outside the garages knows what they mean yet. Our FP1 rookie-session report explains why that morning was even harder to read.

Why did Hamilton stop in FP2?

Hamilton was told to park, which brought out a Virtual Safety Car. Formula1.com quotes his radio as reporting a loss of power from Turn 13, and RacingNews365 describes the stop as a precaution over a potential power unit problem. Neither source gives a cause, and we have not found a Ferrari statement, so treat the diagnosis as unknown.

He had set a 1m 18.741s on his opening run, and Formula1.com says he marginally missed out on the top ten. The practical cost is lost running at a track where thin air makes every minute of setup learning valuable.

What happened between Verstappen and Lawson?

The pair ran side by side through Turn 12 behind Carlos Sainz. Contact scattered debris and caused a short red flag. Lawson said Verstappen "literally drove into me", per Formula1.com, which reports that the stewards noted the incident but gives no penalty. RacingNews365 headlines the pair as heading to the stewards. We found no verdict at the time of writing, so this one stays open.

What does FP2 change for the title?

Not much, and that is the point. Autosport's maths after the United States Grand Prix put Russell 123 points and Hamilton 124 points behind Antonelli, with 125 left across five rounds. For the fight to survive Mexico, Hamilton would need to win while Antonelli scores nothing, and Russell would need to win with Antonelli no higher than tenth. Antonelli's fourth place in practice does nothing to help his rivals. Our standings page tracks the arithmetic as it moves.

What to watch next

FP3 starts at 11:30 local time on Saturday, with qualifying at 15:00. The question for Ferrari is simple: fastest in practice twice, but can it keep a car running and turn that into a front-row start? Follow the sessions on live timing, compare the sectors in telemetry, and put your Energy on the grid in round predictions. More of our Friday-to-Sunday coverage sits in the news archive.